Twilight

(No this isn't Stephanie Meyer's Twilight; this is about Charlie's brief time in hell through his eyes, my first story from a first person perspective, Either a prequel to "On Love's Wings" or an untold part of the first movie, you can look at it in many ways, so please enjoy and feel free to ask any questions)

My life is not a happy tale. I lived a life of vulgarity, cursing the one called God for the atrocities I have committed. I have damned my own life to this hell; there was no escape from this verdict, it would seem like… I belonged here…

I stood before my tormentor, his demonic gaze attentive to me. I felt I was a log being looked over before it is placed into the scorching flames. I may have escaped heaven… but in my blindness, I earned a one way ticket to hell. The dark deity sitting on his skeleton encrusted throne before me chuckles.

"May I ask what you find that is so funny." I felt the grip of his servants on my arms, their hands felt like I was being touched by a heated cattle rod.

A sinister smirk formed upon his face, I felt a sense of inevitable pain coursing through my body. He picked himself up from his skeletal throne and the wraiths that bound me, released me and bowed before their infernal master. I stood straight and tall, as if to keep my sense courageousness, but as his gaze peered into the windows of my soul, my courage faltered, but still remained. He took me into his grasp and brought me to his eye level. His skin set mine into an invisible flame, I couldn't see them, but I certainly felt it. The pain was excruciating.

"Ah, my condemned friend, the pain you are feeling is only the beginning of life you now have in the land of ever lasting torment." He laughed evilly, the flames scorched my body, the torture was becoming too much for this feeble form I've come to inhabit. My pain became his vile pleasure. This body was beyond weak it was pitiful. The pain coursed through me as if the fire now turned into sharp jagged daggers digging into my skin, I became a martyr to this catalyst of hatred and pain. He only laughed at each twitch and every jerk my body produced; I neared the brink of oblivion. I only saw complete darkness; my body was in unspeakable agony. The only sound I heard was the fiendish laughter of the devil himself...

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I felt no pain, the numbness in body stifled what ever pain had been left. In my conscious mind, I thought of everyone I had left… Itchy… Ann-Marie… Flo… all of my friends in the realm of the living. The sudden ache in my heart brought a tear to my mind's eye. "My friends…" Itchy, My best friend who stuck by my little schemes through and through… and I hurt him, Ann-Marie, the sweetest and most benevolent little girl you will ever meet in your lifetime, I only wished she made it out of Carface's sinking boat in time, unscathed… and Flo… an angel in dog's fur, the most caring and selfless collie I have ever had the pleasure to meet. I loved her… the times I spent with her and the orphaned pups she cared for in that old, abandoned church. My nostalgic memories made my heart ache ever more longingly… I wanted my life back.

I felt a jab on my back from a pointed object. I moaned as the pain broke through the numbness and into my system. " Awaken wretched soul." Spoke the fiend. Another sharp jab to my back and my eyes shoot open, I surveyed my surroundings and found that I was in a prison cell of hellfire. The demon whom awoken me looked gaunt, his eyes sunken and his body was that of a science experiment gone hay wire, twisted and bent into all sorts of shapes and sizes, how this happened I wouldn't not be curious to ask anytime soon. The creature opened the flaming gates that isolated me from "freedom" and pulled me out of the cell by the scruff of my neck.

"Move, the master has yet to pass your sentence." It said. The look in his demonic face showed me that no matter what sentence awaited me, it would not be a pleasant experience. We walked past the flaming cells; I peered into the cage and saw an older male human about 30 of age, in the corner rocking back and forth. He whispered incoherently under his breath, his eyes were bagged and bloodshot, Only god knew what he had done in his early life, but I had a pretty good idea, I went through that same lifestyle… drinking my weight in liquor, constantly drunk, totally changed… no one ever recognized me. I shook my head in pity at this poor soul, was this, my own fate? To be eternally damned and bound to insanity like this man, what ever it is will come into the light soon enough.

The future is bleak and shrouded in mystery, Fate is determined by a predestined path, follow the path set or change it drastically and change the out come of your own destiny. When I escaped Heaven… I changed the path set before me and instead followed the path of vengeance and be forever damned in the abyss known as Hell, And yet, would I do it all again? Only change it so I could live the remainder of my life with the one's I loved? To be able to live a better life with Itchy and repay him for being the best friend I could ask for. Would I be able to watch Flo's pups grow and be adopted by the neighboring families and maybe even start a family with her as my mate? Or even watch Ann-Marie grow and blossom into the woman she would eventually become, maybe possibly live till she graduates High school.

All these paths laid out for me… and yet, I choose the darkest of them… Vengeance, a most selfish form of retribution, I should have been atoning for the sins I had committed, then maybe, just maybe… I could have seen worthy in the lord's eyes to gain admission into the light of Heaven… Wait… Maybe there is still hope for me; my sentence isn't absolute until I, being the soul in question, allow it to be.

The pretzel demon behind me jabbed me fiercely to keep me from stopping, he seemed in a hurry for an odd reason. Perhaps its just the joy of seeing a soul crying in agony that gets it riled up, it sickens me, this creature lacks compassion, something I still claim to have, even if it seemed that I was depraved of any loving emotion. But In complete honesty, I have very odd ways of showing affection, unfortunately…

I never knew Hell had such long tunnels, the pads of my feet felt like I was being forced to walk on newly spewed volcanic lava. Hot, hot, and more Hot. The demon behind me was becoming even more impatient, I was beginning to get really aggravated by this little imp, but still I pressed on word. If I ever get out of here, I'll be sure to give this little monster a good kick.

We finally reached the end of the tunnel, but what I saw, was something I have never want to see ever in my life for as long as I "lived". The demon and I entered a sort of a coliseum looking area, only this was no ordinary arena, I was surrounded by brick upon brick of dead human flesh. I held my nose and had the taste of vomit rise into my mouth, my eyes watered at the horrid smell. I backed away but the little demon jumped up and kicked me right in the middle of my back. I was launched from the ground and into the very center of the arena, I looked up from the foul smelling sand to see my captor sitting upon his disturbing throne with two large demons standing on both sides of him, they looked positively repulsive. They had Horns formed like a rams, their faces were that of bulls or something completely unrecognizable, and both were very large and had enough power to break me like a twig. I stood up quickly on my hind legs, feeling the area where that demon kicked me; it burned as if I were branded with a cattle rod once again. I stared into the face of evil himself, his gaze also at me; a sinister smirk played his lips.

"Charles B. Barkin, Son of Burt Barkin and Loni Bowzer, You've been given another chance at redemption." His voice boomed, I stared at disbelief, was I being released?

He laughs a booming laugh and his followers' laughs followed, "No, your not being released."

"How did you-"

"Your thoughts are no secret here; we know every move or thought you produce from that inferior mind of yours." He placed a sharp nailed finger to his temple as if to mock me as he smirked again, I got into a sort of crouch and growled menacingly at him.

"Inferior!?" I lunged myself at him only to be stopped mid jump, I flailed in the air as I was being held in mid air by only a single demonic finger. The creatures around me only laughed at my fruitless attempt to escape their master's telekinetic grip on my body. I felt my body being pulled towards the dark master and was at his eye level, totally helpless to even defend myself, his eyes burned of black fire.

"Save your strength, you'll need it." A chuckle erupted from his throat and I was launched away from him and into an opposite wall, millions of sharp painful zings exploded into my back, I fall to the ground writhing in pain, Only the cackles of the demons around me filled my ears, my vision became blurred.

With all my strength I pick my self up off the ground, coughing up the soot I inhaled, I looked up to find the villain's bodyguards staring down at me with glinting black eyes. In their hands were staves and on the end were large bladed axes, on instinct I stand on my hind legs and stand in a defensive position.

"Challenge, begin!" yelled a small fire imp behind them.

Both creatures come at me, slashing their weapons with expert precision, I manage to dodge the blades but get hit by the butt of the staves. I rolled into the coliseum walls, feeling my insides burst into flames at the pain. I hear a finger snap echo and a cling; I open my eyes to find a rather large sword planted into the ground. I drag myself until my paws touched the hilt of blade and pull myself upward, my legs felt like jell-o.

The two creatures charge me once again; I tugged at the sword in the ground until it finally came loose from the ground. I lifted it, but then my arms give into the weight and they fall. I lug at the sword and start swinging, clings and bangs accompany them as the demons block every crazy attack I make. They twirl their staves and with perfect synchronization and send me flying, the blade knocked out of my paw and spinning like a buzz saw over my head.

I saw red as I hit the ground; my body was becoming numb at the pain. I open my eyes in time to catch my sword plant itself just a few inches from my face, the urge to faint was overwhelming, but I shook the feeling off. I kick up my legs and jumps up from the ground, my legs barraged me with stings, but ignored them. My concentration too much on the task at hand to even care, I wanted to see my friends again, I wanted to at least be away from this place!

I pick up the sword and out of the corner of my eye, I see both of the creatures charging at me from both sides, I hold my ground, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. I take a deep breath, and then as the first creature swings his axe staff, I duck and the demon instead in one hard swoosh, decapitates his comrade. The window of opportunity had finally opened up to me and I drive my blade within the other demon's chest, issuing a loud, blood curdling roar.

I watch both bodies fall to the ground with an enormous thud that reverberated off the coliseum walls. The imps in the stands were not laughing this time, they only cowered in fear, though the fear wasn't of me, it was of their furious master.

Lucifer's hand crashed into his throne, a snarl erupted from his mouth. The force of his fist nearly shattered the arm rest, but managed. I stood up straight and tall before him, panting heavily, numbed from the pain in my bones. The urge to laugh in his face was too great for me to overcome. The fiend arises from his throne and leaps of the stand and lands just a few feet away from me. He lifted a devilish hand and it becomes engulfed with raging black fire, I prepare my self as he launches the inferno my way. I jump out of the way and look back at Lucifer as he brings his index and middle finger upwards. I feel a sudden burst of heat and I turn around to see that same fire ball being redirected to me once more, it hit me dead on and sends me flying, having me spin rapidly in the air.

I hit the ground with a bone crushing force; my body was too numb to even feel the surging pain going through my body. I rolled onto my stomach and started to lift myself from the ground, only to be met by another accurate fireball. I fell back onto the ground; the pain hit me at once as it broke through my numbness and ravaged my nerves, it felt like a billion white hot knives being driven into my skin. I closed my eyes, breathing heavily, falling into darkness. The cold loneliness consumed me, I have never felt so helpless in my life, and my friends… were no where around to give me strength, no one to support me, only the dark loneliness remained in my heart…

"You're not alone!"

Huh? Am I going crazy? Im hearing random voices and Im seeing a bright light shining through my eyelids, I open my eyes to a brand new environment, No darkness or cold, just a warm light that enveloped my senses and brought a feeling of being whole.

"Hey, Charlie!" says the same voice.

I look back and found a small dachshund's paws wrapped around my waist…Itchy?

"Itchy? Wh-What are you doing in hell?" I asked perplexed at my friend's sudden appearance, he looked up at me with the same look.

"Hell? No silly, you just found the light."

"The light?" I looked even more confused, Itchy's paws loosen from my waist and he glides away from me so we were face to face with one another and soon another slender figure began to appear before me.

"The light within your heart, Charlie." Flo's face emerged from the light; her smile was just as lovely and caring as ever. I reached over to touch her but she slipped from my outstretched paw, I felt hurt.

"Charlie, Im… sorry… but, you must move on, both of us, must move on." She says, as tears start to form in her eyes. "But, I will never forget you Charlie, I loved you and I still do, and I will always cherish the times we spent together, take care Charlie." She glides towards me and plants a small kiss on my lips, I felt the tears welling in my eyes. Flo flew back next to Itchy and both of them held out their paws for me.

"Now come on, you've got a task to complete." They both say at once, I smile at both of them, my best friends. I couldn't hold it any longer, I let my tears fall from my face and I reach forward and touch their paws. The second I did, everything had begun to become very bright, I only heard Itchy's voice as I faded away.

"Ann-Marie would still like to see you one last time Charlie…"Ann-Marie, yes, I will see her, even if it be my last time. I nodded to them as the light grew brighter and the darkness had been forced into the depths of my heart, where it could never be tempted to take control ever again.

The light faded as my eyelids open slowly, my strength had inexplicably returned to me. The pain that ran through my veins had evaporated like a puddle on a hot sidewalk. My eyes opened fully and I find myself on my feet, standing straight and tall, as if I wasn't even in a battle at all. I look over at Lucifer, who is looking at me in shock, I guess he wasn't expected me to be standing, or not show any signs of unspeakable agony.

"This-This is impossible!" he bellowed, the entire coliseum rumbled and his servants cowered in the stands. I only stood, feeling a sense of complete courageousness in my heart; Lucifer formed an enormous fire ball and shot it at me in anger. I dodged easily and it hits the stands eradicating about half of the coliseum's walls as well as his minions. I had a victorious grin on my face, I felt empowered and totally confident. I continued to stare down the face of pure evil and hatred, my heart was rejuvenated with new life and the light of my friends and also, with the new found knowledge that I was never alone, no matter what realm I was in. Hell can do its worse to my body, but it will never touch my heart.

"You lose."

Lucifer took a step back, and for once, he was afraid, afraid that his evil and sadistic methods of torture haven't broken my morale or the hope of seeing the ones I loved once more. Ann-Marie, Itchy, and Flo, my friends, not even the Devil himself can keep me from them. I took a step forward and Lucifer took a step back, as if he can feel the light in my heart shine through his darkness. I grabbed the sword that had still been embedded within one of the demon's chest and points it at him.

"I think I –the damned- is entitled to a final request, don't you think?" I smirked and kept the sword pointed at him. He growled in his throat and lifted his hand into the air; I could tell that he knew what I wanted the most. I watched as red smoke enveloped us both, Lucifer's eyes were filled with hate and spite. Personally, I could have cared less, the only thing I cared about was finally being able to say good bye to the young girl that had been the key to unlocking the good within my selfish heart…

The End

(Hello everyone, this was on my mind for quite sometime after I had a review talking about Charlie's relationship with Sasha and how Flo mysteriously disappeared and was never mentioned, and so that's where this story came into place, I hope you all liked it and I'll be getting more done as the months pass. God Bless!)